


Falling into Your Arms (Forever and Always)

by Emeli_Thorne



Series: My Forever Is Yours [17]
Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Engagement Party, F/M, FLUFF!!!!, Shane and Tess are madly in love, Tears Are Shed, promises are made, some angst but it's minor really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 13:03:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15510483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emeli_Thorne/pseuds/Emeli_Thorne
Summary: It has taken them a long time to get here. If you ask Tess, she’ll tell you it took them too long. In spite of it all, they are finally here.





	Falling into Your Arms (Forever and Always)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FFanon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFanon/gifts).



> tumblr prompt by @kteague
> 
> Part of my [send a pic, get a fic concept](http://lightblindingme.tumblr.com/post/175767597144) of writing fics for the month of July
> 
> Timeline: The evening of Tess and Shane’s official engagement

 

It has taken them a long time to get here. If you ask Tess, she’ll tell you it took them too long, and mostly because of her. Their path hasn’t been easy. It took literal blood to be spilt, weeks of tears and shouting, days and nights of deafening silence that drove them both mad and finally breaking up to realise the love they had was worth saving; that they were worth saving.

Tess doesn’t like to dwell on their tragedies and lost time; rather, she focuses on what they have now, all the beautiful things that are going to come and make them even happier than they are now.

Taking one final look at herself in the mirror and smoothing down the white dress she chose to wear tonight that’s a bit tight around her waist, the one she loves so much, she grins at herself. Her face already hurts from smiling but there’s nothing that could make her stop being this giddy.

The music coming from the living room calls to her so Tess makes her way out of the bedroom and into the noise.

There are a few people hanging out on the couches, drinking beers and eating pizza. It’s mostly Shane’s co-workers and their wives and girlfriends that stick to the inside rather than going outside. When they see her, they all start chanting her name and congratulating her and Shane, who she has yet to see.

Tess hugs them all joyfully, fully beaming as they individually wish her all the best and mock-warn her about Shane. The guys return to their previous conversation while the ladies inquire Tess about the ring and she more than proudly shows it off.

It’s simple and modest and she loves it. When Shane opened that little velvet box and proposed to her, Tess thought she was dreaming. It still feels surreal that it’s happening, yet it is the realest thing that happened to her in the past two years after all the heartache.

She goes to sleep and wakes up gazing at the ring, catches herself looking at it at work and when she does the dishes. It’ll soon become a part of her, Tess knows, but for now it’s still a novelty and she loves nothing more that to bask in it.

Making her way through the crowd some fifteen minutes later, Tess steps outside in the backyard where Shane’s at the grill tending to steaks and talking to Rick and another officer whose name she can’t remember. At the mere sight of him, in his white t-shirt and washed-out jeans, with just a bit of stubble and a buzzcut, her heart flutters and breath leaves her lungs.

He’s so natural in this role, clearly enjoying being surrounded by people and making casual conversation.

Before she can go to him, her best friends – Jodie, Jenny, and Helena – scoop her up in a group hug, screaming into her ear how beautiful she looks and what a great catch she is. They tease her slightly about her dress, but Tess just shrugs it off, sticking her tongue out to them and laughing as she finally makes her way to Shane.

As soon as he sees her, Shane says something to Rick. Rick then takes over the grill for him and Shane strides towards her, his face unreadable. A few more steps separate them but then Shane's lips spread into the widest of smiles and he runs towards her, crouching slightly so he can pick her up.

Giggling when he lifts her in the air and she places her hands on his shoulders, Tess can hear faint voices of their friends whistling and cheering them on, but it’s nothing compared to Shane’s joyous laughter, the sparkle in his brown eyes and the pure bliss adorning his features.

Her chest is full of the most wonderful sensations and happiness is bursting out of every cell of her being.

Sliding down, her arms are around his neck, a few stray tears running down her cheeks when their foreheads meet and she inhales his scent mixed with smoke and beer. Eyes closed, they both grin and laugh at the same time and there’s no better feeling in the entire world.

“Hello there,” he huffs out, winking at her when they finally look at each other.

Tess laughs again, it’s something she can’t stop doing, and greets him with a deep kiss. His teeth graze her lip, his tongue teases her but the noise of the crowd becomes impossible to ignore and breaks their little bubble.

Groaning, Shane clasps her hand and takes her to a nearby lawn chair. He sits down and pulls her on his lap and Tess snuggles with him.

They don’t get to have much alone time because her sister and Lori come and start gushing about the two of them, how great they look together and how they can’t wait for the wedding. Shane and Tess exchange a look, but say nothing to the girls. Instead, they smile and play coy.

The evening passes in more or less the same manner – laughs, smiles, teasing and everybody being happy for them. Rick teases Shane about his bachelor days being over though they both know those days have long since been gone, ever since he met Tess. Tess feigns lamenting her days as a single lady, but she doesn’t even remember what it was like. To her, it feels like she’s always been with Shane.

There’s a lot of toasting, eating and dancing and as the night starts creeping in slowly, Tess realises how exhausted she is. Tess loves these people with all her heart, but she’s getting tired and can’t wait to go to bed.

Thankfully, the crowd starts to dissipate and after an hour, Shane and Tess are finally alone in their house. Tess wanted to clean the mess left after the party, but Lori, her friends and her sister order her to enjoy herself and took care of everything.

Tess wants to go and change, but Shane calls out to her from the hallway.

“Shane?”

“Come with me.”

He doesn’t need to say anything else; she takes his hands and follows him to the car.

It’s not a long drive, but the motion of the car almost lulls her to sleep. Shane’s hand is on her thigh, his thumb drawing circles on her skin soothe her more than anything.

Before it even occurs to her to ask where they are going, Shane pulls over and helps her out of the car.

Looking around, Tess recognises the forest Shane took her to years ago, when they had that impromptu skinny-dipping session, that has since became their regular dating site.

“I thought we could be alone for awhile.”

She, of course, understands what he means. There’s no noise here, no people, no cars, just nature and its lovely sounds that bring her peace (and scare her too, but Shane’s with her, he could probably fend off any beast).

Hand in hand, they start trekking. Instead of following the same route as before, Shane takes her further down the road, mindful to walk more slowly and turn around every few steps, checking on her.

They happen upon a little wooden shed that’s decrepit, grown in with plants and trees that seem to raise from its very foundations, reaching for the sky with their tall treetops. A little further down, there’s a wooden pier that surprisingly appears to be in much better condition than the shed.

Carefully, Shane leads her across a dusty trail and down the pier. When they reach the end of it, Shane and Tess sit down, Shane rolling up his jeans. Taking off their shoes, they plunge their feet into the water. It’s lukewarm and tranquil for the most part. The sunset is mirrored on its surface and that is the only reason Tess can see timid ripples of the water.

Leaning her head on Shane’s shoulder, she entwines their fingers. Shane turns their hands so he can look at her ring. Smiling, Tess closes her eyes and imagines what he must be thinking in that moment, though she’d rather not ask him.

Then he turns their hands again, this time obviously looking at his ring, the one Tess gave him. It’s similar to hers only without the embedded rock and it’s black. Shane was surprised when she proposed to him the day after he proposed to her, but the ring threw him into fits of laughter. He let her put it on his finger and as far as Tess knows, he hasn’t taken it off since.

“You know,” he starts as Tess keeps her eyes closed, “this feels so... unbelievable. A month ago we were broken up and now we’re engaged.”

“Yeah. I keep waiting to wake up.”

A beat of silence passes between them as they recollect all that has happened in the past two and a half years. Before the gloomy mood manages to settle, Tess lifts her head and cups Shane’s cheek with her free hand. His eyes are sad and it’s not a sight Tess enjoys.

“It’s all in the past now, baby. Please, let it go.” She kisses him – once, twice. “For us, for our baby. It’s a new start for us.”

Tess places their entwined hands on her belly that has only recently started to show slight roundness. Shane’s expression softens, lips pulling into a smile as his gaze travels down.

“Yeah. Yeah. You’re right,” he sniffs, a single tear that begins to trail down his cheek catching light and glimmering on his face before it disappears down his chin. "Lettin’ go. We gon’ do that.”

So much has happened and their wounds are still open, still raw and bleeding. With time, together, they will sew them shut, heal them until nothing but a scar will be left.

“I love you so much, baby,” Tess tells him, grasping the back of his head and leaning her forehead on his, words catching in her throat. She wants to tell him more, wants to tell him what loving him means but no words will ever be enough.

“I love you more, darlin’.” It’s a short, simple statement yet charged with so much emotion, spoken with his deep, raspy voice that can’t ever hide his feelings, that always tells the absolute, uncensored truth.

They laugh again and Tess turns her head slightly, her hair brushing his nose as she rolls her eyes, swallowing her tears.

“Somehow, I believe you.”

She does.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments feed my inspiration :D
> 
> If you love Shane as much as I do, check out my other Shane fics
> 
> Find me on tumblr at lightblindingme :D


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